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Month: August 2015

Why we post online

Modern science certainly has its place in the world, there is no doubt about that. There are many advances in medical technology the world has benefited from, but then again, many are superfluous and unnecessary. We created this website, and this post, to talk about one such medicine that is commonly known as Bactrim. It is so popular that it is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, they consider it one of the most important medications needed in a basic health system. But we aren’t so sure.

Before we begin to discuss the natural alternatives to Bactrim. But first let’s get a basic understanding of the drug. The following excerpts are taken from Wickipedia.com and give you a general understanding of what it is, what the medical community uses it for, and what are the contraindications (when it should be not used because it would be dangerous).

Bactrim Basics

“Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) or co-trimoxazole (BAN) is an antibiotic used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. It consists of one part trimethoprim to five parts sulfamethoxazole. The drug is marketed under many brand names. Co-trimoxazole is generally considered bactericidal, although its components are individually bacteriostatic. It is an anti-folate drug, and functions by inhibiting both de novo folate biosynthesis and metabolism. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole is often abbreviated as SXT, TMP-SMX, TMP-SMZ, or TMP-sulfa, although the abbreviating of drug names is not best practice in medicine.

Side Effects,Contraindications (pregnancy, breastfeeding, children)

Common side effects of TMP/SMX include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Allergic reactions and Clostridium difficile diarrhea are also possible side effects. Its use near the end of pregnancy is not recommended. Some state it should not be used during breastfeeding while others say it is acceptable. Its use during pregnancy is contraindicated, although it has been placed in Australian and American pregnancy category C. Despite this, its use during the first trimester (during organogenesis) and 12 weeks prior to pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations, especially malformations associated with maternal folic acid deficiency (which is most likely related to the mechanism of action of co-trimoxazole) such as neural tube defects such as spina bifida, cardiovascular malformations (e.g. Ebstein’s anomaly), urinary tract defects, oral clefts, and club foot in epidemiological studies. Its use later on during pregnancy also increases the risk of preterm labour (odds ratio: 1.51) and low birth weight (odds ratio: 1.67). Animal studies have yielded similarly discouraging results. It is also excreted in breast milk and hence nursing during treatment with co-trimoxazole is generally advised against.
This medication should not be used in children less than 2 months of age due to the risk of serious side effects.

Uses

This medication is a combination of two antibiotics: sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. It is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections (such as middle ear, urine, respiratory, and intestinal infections). It is also used to prevent and treat a certain type of pneumonia (pneumocystis-type). This medication treats only certain types of infections. It will not work for viral infections (such as flu). Unnecessary use or misuse of any antibiotic can lead to its decreased effectiveness.

Natural Alternatives to Using Bactrim

Now that we have a much better understanding on the drug Bactrim, let’s dive deeper in how you can prevent some of the illnesses it attempting to “cure”. (I put the word “cure” in quotes because you must know that there are NO drugs that CURE anything. They only address the symptom of the illness or disease. They intrinsically cannot cure. And all drugs are toxic to the kidneys. That and the sides effects above give much reason to seek out alternatives to using it). There has been much research done on this, especially in Phoenix, Arizona.

I was able to interview Derek Abello, who at one time was actually pre-med and was formerly a paramedic and administered drugs for a living before he opened his own business that does Scottsdale SEO, but has since gone the route of alternative medicine. His comments were as follows, “Bactrim is an antibacterial drug. We know how to naturally prevent and cure pneumonia and other infections and it all comes down to this– you must get control of how you eat, what you eat, how you handle stress, and how much sleep you get each night.”

This post is getting long and there is so much more to say regarding the natural alternatives but I was fascinated by his comments and the research that is being done in AZ. The next post will dive much deeper into how you can prevent these types of infections naturally, and how to heal them.